FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The No. 11 Auburn men's golf team put up a fierce comeback in the fourth and final round of stroke play at the 2019 NCAA Championship Monday afternoon, but ultimately fell short and did not qualify for match play.
The Tigers shot a 14-over 302 to finish in 12th at 48-over for the tournament and four shots away from the cut line. Auburn's fourth circuit of The Blessings Golf Club tied for the sixth-best round of the day.
"We started on the back side and it was really windy today," head coach Nick Clinard said. "The greens were fast and we struggled there. Then we made a bunch of birdies when we made the turn and had a chance with two holes to play, but we just didn't get it done."
The Tigers got off to a slow start on the back nine after teeing off on the 10th hole, but caught fire when they reached the front nine.
As a team, Auburn produced 12 birdies and an eagle on the final nine holes, but it was not enough as the team ended its 2018-19 campaign at the par-72 course.
"The team showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit," Clinard said. "The guys were grinding all day and weren't going to give up because you never know on this golf course – it's a beast."
Seniors Trace Crowe and Jacob Solomon put a cap their illustrious careers on The Plains.
Solomon led the way for the Tigers with a tie for 30th at 9-over 9 (71-69-80-77--297). The Dublin, Calif. native carded five birdies and seven pars in his final round as a Tiger.
Crowe tied for his best round of the week with a 4-over 76 to finish in a tie for 75th at 24-over (76-78-82-76--312). The Bluffton, S.C. native started his round off with a birdie and added another on the front nine to go along with 10 pars on the day.
Jovan Rebula tied for 43rd on the individual leaderboard at 13-over (73-73-77-78--301). The junior racked up four birdies on the day, including three on the front nine, to help put Auburn back into contention for the final spot in match play.
Graysen Huff and Brandon Mancheno tied for 57th at 16-over. Huff (77-76-80-71--304) fired his best round of the week – a 1-under 71 – that featured four birdies and a team-high 11 pars. Mancheno (72-76-75-81--304) had a 3-hole run that touted two birdies and an eagle between the fourth and sixth holes as he wound down his final round of the season.
Oklahoma State earned the top spot at 16-under (1136) and the Cowboys' Matthew Wolff won the NCAA individual title.
The teams who advanced to match play include Vanderbilt (1167), Wake Forest (1172), Texas (1180), Oklahoma (1180), Stanford (1189), Texas A&M (1192) and SMU (1196).
Auburn's 12th-place finish at the 2019 NCAA Championship ties for the sixth-best in program history.
Team Scores
1. Oklahoma State: -16 (290-276-286-284--1136)
2. Vanderbilt: +15 (307-288-287-285--1167)
3. Wake Forest: +17 (296-297-288-291--1172)
T-4. Texas: +28 (298-290-289-303--1180)
T-4. Oklahoma: +28 (305-287-288-300--1180)
6. Stanford: +37 (291-287-299-312--1189)
7. Texas A&M: +40 (296-287-301-308--1192)
8. SMU: +44 (308-293-292-303--1196) ^
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9. Clemson: +44 (302-292-298-304--1196)
10. Cal: +45 (292-301-306-298--1197)
11. Pepperdine: +47 (312-291-293-303--1199)
12. Auburn: +48 (292-294-312-302--1200)
13. Ohio State: +49 (297-296-302-306--1201)
14. USC: +50 (304-304-292-302--1202)
15. TCU: +53 (311-295-288-311--1205)
^ SMU won playoff vs. Clemson
Auburn Individuals
T-30. Jacob Solomon: +9 (71-69-80-77--297)
T-43. Jovan Rebula: +13 (73-73-77-78--301)
T-43. Brandon Mancheno: +16 (72-76-75-81--304)
T-57. Graysen Huff: +16 (77-76-80-71--304)
T-75. Trace Crowe: +24 (76-78-82-76--312)